The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1887-05-07
CRITIC CRITICISED.
IN. o. States.l

IN. o. States
A correspondent of the New
York Nation criticlses very effect
lively the structures in the last pre-
ceding number on Gen. Wolseley's
recent writings about Gen. Robert
E. Lee. Gen. Francis A. Walker
had assailed Wolseley's article in
a bad temper, which must have
impressed every reader disagree.
ably. The principal offense of
Wolseley in his eyes was the high
ly eulogistic strain in which the
most distinguished man of the
British army INDUCES when refer.
ring to Lee, as indeed all other
writer's who knew Lee in person
or by honest study have done
without exception. But aside from
this sentimental part of the busl-
ness, Gen. Walker handles even
the historical part of his work
grudgingly. The Nation writer
hits off this weakness of Walker
so effectively in the main point Of
Walkers criticism that it is worthy
of reproduction:
"But to come to the exact point
as to the condition Of the Federal
army on its retreat from Malvern
Hill to Westover (Harrison's Lam
ding, Lord Wolseley is not alone
in thinking that If prompt and
vigorous pursuit had been or could
have been made, immense damage
might have been inflicted upon
the retreating forces. Lee himself
says of the campaign. that under
ordinary circumstances the Fede-
raj army should have been des.
troyed.' Stuart believed that it
the Confederate army had followed
him promptly to Westover Nc.
Clellan might have been over
whelmed, and Jackson thought
that q great. opportunity was lost
by the delay. Gen. Hooker, one
of the brayest and most dashing
officers in the Federal army, says
of the retreat from Malvern ito
which he was strongly opposed {:
1T was like the retreat of whip.
ped army. We retreated like q
parcel of sheep-everybody on
the road at the same time-and a
few shots from the rebels would
have panic.stricken the whole
commando Gen. Casey says of
McClellan's condition July 3d.:
sHad the enemy come down and
taken possession of those heights
(the Evelington Heights overlook.
ing Westover, where Stuart had
placed q gun or two) with force
of 10000 or sc, 900 men, they would
in my opinion have taken the
whole army except that small por
ton of 1t that might have got off
on the transports.' The commit.
tee on the conduct of the war re-
port that nothing but heavy
rain, thereby preventing the enemy
from bringing up their artillery,
saved the army there from de.
struction.' Surely, Lord Wolseley
is not empty or silly because
found in such company"
There Is no end TO the Ills,
through which the fruits of that
daring and mastery conception,
| the Ohickahominy campaign, were
lost by mishaps and faults in exc
| cution. "Ifn Jackson had given
himself one day more to reach Nc.
Clellan's flank, thus delaying the
assault of Longstreet and Hill un.
til his arrival ''lf" Magruder had
been more aggressive at Savage
Station; "ifu Holmes had not al.
lowed shells from gunboats to
drive him from Malvern Hill, not
only unspringing the trap in which
Mcclellan had been driven, but
causing Longstreet to detach Ma.
gruder on the eve of the bloody
fight at Frazier's Farm. when his
need was sore, and yet too late to
save Malvern. the key to Lees
strategy "if' Jackson had not
paused at Turkey Creek ford, the
one eclipse of his pre-emineDt ge
MUS during his whole career. Any
one of these s'ifs" subtracted, and
Lees grand design would have
been crowned by the capture of
the most of McClellan's army.
Holmes, Huger and Magruder
were all removed to obscurity in
consequence of their blunderings
and shortcomlng. The two former
ought to have been shot, the latter
casbiered.-ED. TIMES.
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